Conveyer system.



PATENTED SEPT. 2Q, 1907. S. L. G. KNOX.

GONVEYBR SYSTEM. APPLICATION IILIID APR.24,1905.

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S. L. G. KNOX. GONVBYER SYSTEM. AYPLIOATION FILED APB.24.1905.

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PATENTED SEPT.24, 1907. S. L. G. KNOX.

GONVEYER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 1905.

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No. 866,792. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907. S. L. G. KNOX.

GONVBYER SYSTEM.

APPLIGATIQN FILED APB.24.19'06.

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SAMUEL LIPPlNCOTT GRISWOLD KNOX, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CONVEYER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed April 24, 1905. Serial No. 257.163.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. GnIswoLn KNOX, acitizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyor Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to conveying .systems, and more particularly to apparatus to be used in disposing of earth from an excavation, at the dump, to which the material is brought by the usual means employed in this class of work.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus constructed and arranged to receive the excavatedmaterial and dispose of the same along the right of way, in any desired relation, either directly ahead of the machine, or laterally thereof, so that the resulting fill, or dump, may be given the required direction, either straight or curved, with respect to the preceding track section, or other conditions to be observed in making the fill.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved conveying system, certain parts being broken away to avoid confusion; Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation, showing the boom conveyer swung to one side Fig. 4 is a side view of the outer end of the boom conveyer; Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the apparatus, showing the relation of the platform cars, the belt conveyer, and the dump cars; Fig. 6 is a transverse section through one of the platform cars, showing the mode of supporting the belt conveyer; Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of driving apparatus for the unloader and the conveyersyFig. 8 is a side elevation of the end car shown in Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing a modified form of conveyer cooperating with the train of platform cars.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a movable platform, preferably consisting of a closely connected series of platform cars, coupled in train, and moving upon two rails of the three-rail track 0. The car G at the end of the train, hereinafter designated the boiler car, is mounted upon two rails of the track C, and is coupled to the train of platform cars A.

Mounted upon the top of the train of platform cars, is a ballast unloader H, which consists of a generally triangular shaped plow, adapted to be drawn forward and backward over the upper surface of the platform cars by means of an endless cable x, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Supported by cross beams D, attached to the trucks of the platform cars A, is a belt conveyer D, preferably of the Robins type, which runs parallel to and longitudinally of the train, the end of said conveyer being supported by the boiler car G, said conveyer end being given an upward inclination, so as to cause the material carried thcreby, to be discharged into a hopper E mounted upon the base of a swinging boom conveyer .l, to be hereinafter more particularly described.

The conveyer J is mounted upon a boom 1, which is free to swing through substantially 180 degrees upon the end of the boiler car G. The boom I, which is of considerable length, is held up by the usual A-frame I and back-leg I, and is supported at its lower end upon a rotatory frame 0, which latter may be operated either manually, or from an operating motor or engine on the boiler car G. The hopper E, hereinbefore referred to, is mounted upon the rotatory frame O in such position as to receive the material from the conveyer D and deliver the same to the conveyor J, the latter conveyer passing under the open hopper bottom and out along the boom to the extreme end thereof, whence it returns along the under side of the boom, the upper and lower reaches of said conveyer being supported by suitable guide rollers, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Upon the car G is mounteda boiler M, which is preferably placed sufliciently high above the end of the conveyer D, to effectively clear the latter. An engine N is mounted upon the boiler M, but, of course, the engine may be placed elsewhere upon the car, as desired. The engine N drives the conveyer D through the belt P, as indicated in Fig. 2, and also operates the conveyor J, upon the boom I, through the belts R, R and B as shown in the same figure. In order to permit the driving belt R to operate the conveyer J for all positions of the boom, said belt is passed between two sets of vertical rollers S, which impart a quarter of a turn to each stretch of the belt, and permit the latter to run freely as the boom swings from one position to another. If desired, however, a system of gearing can be substitutcd for the driving belts hereinbefore described, but the latter afford a simple and efficient connection between the engine and the conveyer. If desired, the engine N may also be employed for swinging the boom, as hereinbefore noted, and for propelling the car G and the attached train of platform cars A. The necessary connections for accomplishing these results, however, have not been indicated in the drawings, for the reason that they would unnecessarily complicate the latter.

The ballast unloader II, which consists of a triangu lar plow, having a broad forward scoop extending across the upper surface of the platform cars, and having a lateral discharge at its rear portion, above the conveyer D, is preferably provided with two crushing drums W, W which serve to break up any lumps or large masses of material before they pass from the plow to the conveyor. These drums W, W, may be rotated byany mechanism suitable for the purpose, but a simple and effective means for rotating the drums is illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, and consists of a sectionalrack U, one section being mounted upon each of the platform cars in such position as to be engaged by a gear on the shaft of drum W, so that, as the plow is advanced, the gear will travel over the rack U and impart a rotary motion to drum W, from which a corresponding motion is imparted to its mate W. The ballast unloader H is caused to travel backward and forward over the platform cars by means of the endless cable :0, which runs over the entire train of cars and is operated by the twin drums V, driven by the reversible engine Y, preferably mounted upon the forward platform car.

Parallelling the tracks G, and preferably located at a higher elevation than the latter, is a track B, which runs to the point where the excavation is being made, and upon'said track is operated the usual train of cars Z, which serves to convey the material from the steam shovel, or other excavating means, to the conveying apparatus hereinbefore described.

In order to steady and firmly support the boom conveyer, and the boiler car from which the same is operated, jack arms K are provided, each of said jack arms consisting of three brace rods k, it connected to a jack screw K at one end,and to the body of the car G and the A-frame head L at the other end, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of the above described apparatus is as follows: The boom conveyer J is swung out into such position that it will deliver the material at the point de sired on the dump or fill. The train of cars Z is run up on the track B, and unloaded, in the usual manner, upon the platform cars A, after which the train is returned to the point of excavationfor another-load. The unloader H is then drawn by the cable x, from the rear end of the platform train, at the rate of about 15 feet per minute, thereby scraping the material, which has been dumped on the platform cars, off of the latter and onto the belt conveyor D. The conveyor D, which runs at a considerably higher speed than that of the unloader H, preferably about 400 feet per minute, carries the material forward to the hopper E, whence it passes onto the conveyer J, by which it is deposited on the dump or fill. In the meantime, the boom I, car- 1 ryingthe conveyer I, may be slowly swung to the right and left, to properly distribute and dispose the material. When the material thus disposed reaches the level of the tracks, the boiler car Gr and platform train A are moved a few feet ahead, and the operation continued, the effect being to build a bank or road bed ahead of the machine, and across the place to be filled. As soon as the unloader H has reached the forward end of the platform train, it is rapidly drawn back to its starting position, by reversing the engine Y and the drums V, and the apparatus is ready for the next train of dump cars. If any large coagulated masses of dirt are delivered to the platform cars, the toothed crushing drums W, W, at the discharge end of the unloader H, will crush the same so that they may be safely carried by the belt conveyor D, suitable guard walls I-I being provided along the sides of the unloader to prevent the material escaping, and to direct the same to the discharge opening between the crushing drums.

In the modified form of the apparatus, shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, there is provided a central power plant, preferably mounted upon the forward car Gr, but which,

of course, may be located upon a separate car upon a siding or at any other convenient place. Said power plant, preferably consists of an electric generating plant, having a boiler m and engine n, which operates dynamo 0, from which current is derived and conducted to electric motor units for operating the various moving parts of the conveyer system. For example, the conveyer D is driven from an electric motor f on car G, which motor is connected by belt 9 to the driving pulley h of said conveyer, and an electric motor 2', geared or belted to the conveyer J, serves to operate the latter and may also be employed to swing the boom I, or an additional motor may be installed to operate the boom and to propel the train of platform cars along the track. Mounted on the frame of the ballast unloader H, is an electric motor p, also taking power from the generator 0, which motor drives a chain of gearing g, which, in turn, operates a series of chain wheels 1), engaged by a. chain 50 fixed at its ends to the end cars of the platform cars, so that, as the motor is driven forward or backward, the plow H is advanced or retracted over the train A. Motor p also serves to operate the crushing rolls W, W, to accomplish which the motor is geared to roll W, which, in turn, is geared to roll W. The conveyer D, in this form of the apparatus, is mounted upon an independent wheel base d, operating upon the outer rails of track 0, so that the weight of said conveyer is removed from the train A.

The operation of the modified form of the apparatus is substantially the same as that of the form first described, the only variation between the two systems being in the arrangement of the power plant, the motor units, the mounting of the conveyers D and D, and the manner of operating the crusher W, W on the plow H.

It is to be specially noted, that, while certain preferred forms of the various details of the system have been hereinbefore specifically described, yet it is not intended that the invention is to be limited thereby, or that the claims are to be restricted to the particular forms of the various mechanisms shown. For example, it is not essential to the efficient operation of the system that a train of platform cars A be employed, as any suitable form of movable platform, capable of readily being advanced from time to time, could be effectively employed. Also the particular type of ballast unloader and the crusher employed in connection therewith, may be varied without departing from the invention.

While the ballast unloader, hereinbefore described, finds particularly advantageous application to the present conveyer system, yet it is to be understood that the unloader referred to, is capable of extensive use, and is made the subject matter of a divisional application, Serial No. 311,107, filed April 11, 1906.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A conveyer system, comprising a movable platform, a ballast unloader traveling thereover, a conveyer running longitudinally thereof and adapted to receive the material scraped from the platform by the ballast unloader, and an adjustable boom conveyer receiving the material from the first conveyer and delivering the terial laterally of or ahead of the platform.

2. A conveyer system, comprising a movable platform, a ballast unloader traveling thereoverya belt conveyer supported at one side of the platform and running longitudinally thereof to receive the material scraped from the platform by the ballast unloader, a section at the end 01' the platform supporting the end of said belt conveyer, a swinging boom 0n the end section, a conveyor on said boom, and a hopper at the base of the boom to receive the material from the belt conveyor and deliver the same to the conveyor on the boom.

3. A conveyor system, comprising a movable platform, an unloading plow traveling over said platform, a belt conveyer at one side of the platform to receive the ma terial from the plow, a swinging boom on the forward section of the platform, a conveyor on said boom receiving the material from the belt conveyer, and means for driv ing the conveyors at a higher rate of speed than that of ti e unloading plow.

t. A conveyor system, comprising a train of cars, a movable platform upon which the cars discharge, an unloading plow traveling over the platform, a belt convoyer supported at one side of the platform, to receive the material from the plow, a swinging boom on the forward section of the platform, a conveyer on said boom to re ceive the material from the belt conveyer, and means for driving the conveyors and the plow, the latter moving at a slower speed than said conveyors.

A conveyor system, comprising a main track, a train of cars operating thereon, an auxiliary track paralleling the main track, a platform on said auxiliary track to receive the material from the cars, a plow on the plat form, a conveyor running longitudinally of the platform to receive the material from the plow, a swinging boom conveyor on the forward end of the platform to receive the material from the longitudinal conveyer, and means for driving the conveyors and the plow.

6. A conveyer system, comprising a train of platform cars, an unloading plow traveling thereover, a belt c0n veyer supported at one side of the platform cars and running longitudinally thereof to receive the material scraped from the platform cars by the plow, a swinging boom on the forward end of said train, a conveyor on said boom, a hopper at the base of the boom to receive the material from the belt conveyor and deliver the same to the eonveyer on the boom, a centralized power plant, and individual motors receiving power therefrom for operating the moving elements of the system.

7. A conveyor system, comprising a main track, a train of material conveying cars operating thereon, an auxiliary track paralleling the main track, a train of platform cars on said auxiliary track to receive the material from the conveying cars, a plow on the platform cars, a eonveyer running long udinally of the platform cars to receive the material from the plow, a swinging boom conveyer on the forward car of the platform train, to receive the material from the longitudinal conveyer, a centralized power plant, and a series of individual motors for driving the eonveyers and the plow, said motors receiving power from the centralized plant.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL LIPPINCOTT GRISWOLD KNOX.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. RONDEAU, HARRY B. HAYDEN. 

